It was after the release of In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 that Roc-A-Fella decided to build an army from the ground up and take over the game. The climate in rap was different. With the rise and fall of 2Pac and Biggie came the popularization of hip-hop. Those two giants were seemingly always in the headlines for both good and bad reasons. Still young, rap took a major blow when they took each other out and left the genre ripe for the picking.
Dr. Dre broke off from Death Row, Snoop signed with No Limit, and the Wu started to fall off. The only real competition was in Queens in the form of Nas, Mobb Deep, and Capone-N-Noreaga and Jay Z’s Def Jam labelmates DMX and Ja Rule, the latter of whom Jigga collaborated with frequently during the late '90s/early '00s. With only Jay Z and Memphis Bleek officially signed to the imprint, Roc-A-Fella needed soldiers to be taken seriously.
During the recording of Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life, an army fell into Roc-A-Fella’s lap. Beanie Sigel was introduced to Dame Dash and Hova by his manager and friend Sadiq. After hearing him spit, Jay immediately put Sigel on “Reservoir Dogs,” then Beans recorded “1,000 Bars” with Memphis Bleek for a DJ Clue tape, and had two tracks (“Cru Love” and a freestyle) on a promo disc named This Thing of Ours—which was packaged with early copies of Vol. 2. Sigel’s raps on those particular cuts made everybody nervous. Jigga finally had someone who could keep up with him on features and still be able to deliver a viable full-length project. He also had somewhat of a bodyguard on wax—to get to Hova you had to go through Sigel.
From about 1998 to around 2000, Beanie and his management, Black Family, started to bring in some of Philadelphia’s best into the fold: Oschino & Sparks, the Young Gunz, Freeway, and Peedi Crakk. With various members of the newly formed clique making appearances on Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter and The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, the label started to put the game in a cobra clutch.
By 2001, troops in tow, Jay Z had enough confidence to go at Nas and Prodigy of Mobb Deep during his unforgettable 2001 Summer Jam set when he unleashed “Takeover.” Putting Prodigy on that Summer Jam screen and calling Nas out started an all-out war on wax. Along with Memphis Bleek, the Philly collective fired verbal shots at the Queens crew on various mixtape cuts and on memorable Hot 97 freestyles, which in turn resurrected Nas’ career and thrust Roc-A-Fella to the top of the game.
Their ascension led to the signing of the Diplomats and a run comparable to some of the greatest dynasties in hip-hop history. The Roc found themselves in a beef with the Lox that got even more personal than the Mobb and Nas one. They brought each others mothers up, and Jada even brought a deceased Aaliyah into it. Shit got so real that if gunplay worked itself into the narrative no one would’ve been surprised. Beans went toe-to-toe with Jada's Top 5, Dead or Alive and threw shots at Nasty. He was the muscle, the shooter Jay was able to unleash along with the rest of his army whenever war came to his front door.
Numerous street classics were birthed as a result: The Truth, The Reason, The B. Coming, Tough Luv, Philadelphia Freeway, The Chain Gang Vol. 2, Come Home With Me, Diplomatic Immunity, Vol. 3, and The Dynasty. All of those albums were able to express the glory and ugliness of living a life of crime and featured the production of upcoming producers Just Blaze, Kanye West, and Chad “Wes” Hamilton. This was all around the period when Jay Z was fresh off of selling five million records of Vol. 2, essentially crossing over into the mainstream.
The Roc brass were smart enough to keep State Property around to keep that street influence. Some might also say that Jay Z borrowed Young Chris’ flow, though it’s fair to say Chris borrowed from Jay as well because Gunna hasn’t been able to stay consistent since the breakup. Whatever the case, it was almost a perfect marriage. Beanie and Jay really had game like Doc and Moses. The two of them went bar for bar on some classic joints during a period where Roc-A-Fella felt untouchable.
Now with Beans officially home, we look back at the 25 Best Roc-A-Fella Songs That Have Nothing to Do With Jay Z or Kanye.
Written by Angel Diaz, Damien Scott, and Justin Charity.
50. Memphis Bleek “Round Here” (2003)
Producer: Just Blaze
Album: M.A.D.E.
Bleek gets a bad rap. He's shoved to the side as Jigga's sidekick, and his contribution to the label is sometimes treated as an afterthought. The truth is, Bleek dropped three solid solo albums and provided numerous quality guest verses. On “Round Here” he holds his own with two of the South's finest, Trick Daddy and T.I. And the video makes the song even better. Throwback jersey, durags, fitteds, Avirexes, and hard looks. What more do you want in a rap video? —Angel Diaz
48. Young Gunz f/ Sparks “Take It How You Want It” (2004)
Producer: Chad “Wes” Hamilton
Album: Tough Luv
What the fuck is Young Chris screaming on the hook? It doesn't matter because this shit goes hard. Chad Wes is really underrated in the grand scheme of Roc-A-Fella. He was very instrumental in creating State Property's sound. The Young Gunz weren't the best lyricists, but they were honest, and that goes a long way. Give them a hard beat and they'll body it. “Around a whole lot of thuggin' but, baby, that's how I roll.” Chris was on his way to being a star. —Angel Diaz
46. Oschino “Been Down Too Long” (2003)
Producer: Black Key
Album: The Chain Gang Vol. 2
This is not only Oschino's story, it's the story of many kids growing up in the ghetto. To go from fighting for your life in America's streets to recording bangers with Jay Z is a true Cinderella story. Oschino spits vividly about what it took to get him to that point. Music can be a form of therapy, and this song will always put things in perspective. —Angel Diaz
44. Memphis Bleek “Who's Sleeping” (1999)
Producer: Patrick Viala
Album: Coming of Age
Wooo, Memph Man wasn't playin' on Coming of Age's intro track. The sample, the hook, the rhymes? Man, listen, why did you sleep on Bleek? “Who's gettin' money over here? Contact these guys.” This track is definitely that Roc-A-Fella shit. Raps about “hoes, clothes, and whips.” —Angel Diaz
42. Beanie Sigel f/ Scarface “Mom Praying” (2001)
Producer: Just Blaze
Album: The Reason
Mack Mittens was the truth. Not the truth in the sense that he was the greatest rapper of all time, but the truth in the sense that he embodied the telling of unadorned realities. If you wanted to hear about the gutter-to-gutter hustling lifestyle, without the glory tales that only a handful were able to really experience, Beanie was the guy to see. Also: Scarface. So, imagine the two of them, the Broad Street Bully and the guy Hov always tapped for heart-wrenching stories of regret and clear-eyed block wisdom, hopping on one of Just Blaze’s most mournful beats to swap stories about balancing their wrongdoing with their families wishes for them to do right. If you imagine it’s a classic, you’d be right. —Damien Scott
40. Beanie Sigel “Mack Bitch” (2001)
Producer: Just Blaze
Album: The Reason
The beat is pure keyboard thuggery; while not sample-driven like much of Just Blaze's best work of the era, the perfect chemistry of piano low-range paired with Sigel's felonious bark. Every star's got their "this is me, this is what I'm 'bout" debut ditty, hence: “BEANIE!” “Sigel is the name that they gave me.” Despite the beat's cheap Nokia chirps as FM radio melody, Siegel's O.G. coke raps are nonetheless grimier than five combined seasons of The Wire. After Sigel's debut album, The Truth, “Mack Bitch” was his first big solo moment, our earliest assurance that Roc-A-Fella Records was imminently greater than just Jay Z. —Justin Charity
38. Memphis Bleek f/ Beanie Sigel “Hustlers” (2000)
Producer: Jose “Lace” Batiz
Album: The Understanding
After hearing this, I was convinced that I was built for this rap shit and put down the basketball. My life went from playing pick-up all day to playing the block, smoking blunts, and listening to rap when I wasn't in school or working. 'Cause where I'm from, we die young and go to jail for murder one. —Angel Diaz
36. Freeway f/ Scarface “Baby Don't Do It” (2007)
Producer: Chad “Wes” Hamilton
Album: Free at Last
For his second and final album under Roc-A-Fella, Freeway didn't have production from Kanye West or Just Blaze. Free didn't take the omission lightly, lashing out at both producers for not supporting him. No matter, though. While he didn't have any of the guys who helped build the sound he (and the Roc) became known for, he did have dudes like Chad "Wes" Hamilton who were able to craft near facsimiles, some even besting the work of the Roc's two hitmakers. One example was the Scarface-featuring "Baby Don't Do It." From the moment the beat drops out about 20 seconds in, Free jumps in assuring listeners he won't fall off, while pledging his allegiance to State Property, Roc-A-Fella, and Hov all within one bar. —Damien Scott
34. Cam'ron f/ Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek “The ROC (Just Fire)” (2002)
Producer: Just Blaze
Album: Come Home With Me
From a fan's perspective, the internal politics of Roc-A-Fella were mysterious and fraught. Were Jay, Dame, and Biggs really thick as thieves? Did Jay fuck with Cam? Was Bleek indeed cool with everyone else? Proof to the contrary was occasional; from Cam'ron's Come Home With Me, “The ROC (Just Fire)” was the group's preeminent showing of cross-clique solidarity. Beans clears his throat: “Here is something you can't understaaaaaaand: how I could just kill a man for Killa Cam.” Not to be outdone, Cam shuts it down with dope math and a spree of holiday metaphors that sounds rather like Christmas morning. Just Blaze blacked out, of course. —Justin Charity
32. Juelz Santana “Who I Am” (2003)
Producer: Heatmakerz
Album: Diplomatic Immunity
Juelz Santana, the former Dipset underboss, was more known at first for his bluster and braggadocio than lyrics that made you contemplate their meaning in regard to the way you lived your life. Cam, of course, had a bunch of ’em, but his lil homie seemed destined to be relegated to that role forever. What did Juelz think about life when the bottles were tapped and the girls got dropped off? When he wasn’t moving blow, where did his thoughts go? “Who I Am” answered those questions beautifully. Of course, it was helped a ton by the Heatmakerz’ sampling of the O’Jays, but Juelz got off on this, detailing the inner thoughts of a dude with a “righteous persona” who “still sells crack right on the corner.” At a time when 50 Cent and G-Unit pushed the image of rapper as emotionally cold supervillain, Santana came through and admitted to sometimes shedding tears while smoking reefa listening to old Aaliyah. And you thought Drake invented that shit? Nah… —Damien Scott
30. Freeway f/ Allen Anthony “Alright” (2003)
Producer: Just Blaze
Album: Philadelphia Freeway
Freeway's debut, Philadelphia Freeway, is an unfortunately disregarded album from Roc-A-fella's clusterfuck zenith, when Jay, Kanye, the Diplomats, and even the youngest dudes out of State Property all had hits. As for Freeway's debut, there's verified bangers “What We Do” and “Flipside,” as you know, but the most distinctly Freeway song from the album is “Alright,” a keyboard flip of Tribe's “Electric Relaxation,” landed by none other than Just Blaze. It's a downbeat, downer melody that underscores the tormented Beanie Sigel's influence on a young Freeway, who raps, “I'm from a block where niggas might blast your pops,/No chance ambulance can't save your kin/Smoke reefer, burn reefer, chill in my spot/Instead of making salaat, drink liters of gin/I'm drunk again, I'm high again, I just might fly a kite.” It's all somewhat rickety and unpolished, with Freeway gasping for ad libs as Just Blaze lets the beat ride to black, but there's a certain charm in Freeway's exhaustion. “We make that music you can feel! Early!” —Justin Charity
28. Beanie Sigel f/ Sparks “Tales of A Hustler” (2001)
Producer: Sha-Self
Album: The Reason
“Tales of A Hustler” sounds like a crack fiend's scuffling feet. It sounds like a quiet winter night on the block but the money is still coming in. Sparks' verse is just ridiculous. Imagine the pressure of having to tell a mother that you'll avenge her son's death? The feelings conjured up during this song prove that choosing to sell drugs isn't necessarily taking the easy way out. With that life comes a lot of demons. The streets play for keeps. —Angel Diaz
26. Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, & Jim Jones “I'm Ready” (2003)
Producer: Heatmakerz
Album: Diplomatic Immunity
If, instead of making Killa Season, Cam decided to make a superhero flick, “I’m Ready” could serve as the theme music. With the Heatmakerz on the boards, Juelz, Capo, and Killa outline their plans for a takeover. As the title suggested, it announced the arrival of a new force, one whose members all had different plans. Juelz was convinced Cam was gonna make him a star and that was in turn going to make him millions. Jimmy didn’t care about being No. 1 on the charts, he just wanted to get off the block. And Cam, well, he wouldn’t be happy until he was on top. And for a short period of time, it was extremely difficult not believe that all of that would happen. —Damien Scott
24. Beanie Sigel “No Glory” (2002)
Producer: N.O. Joe
Album: State Property OST
It's no secret that Beanie is a big fan of Scarface and the Geto Boys, so we weren't shocked when we heard his rendition of Big Mike's “No Nuts, No Glory.” Using a sample of Millie Jackson's “I Cry,” Sigel does what Sigel does: spit that hard, street shit that'll make you want to lock down half the block, turn that half a block to another half a block, then lock down another half a block. —Angel Diaz
22. Young Gunz “Can't Stop, Won't Stop” (2003)
Producer: Digga
Album: The Chain Gang Vol. 2
If you grew up in the Northeast, “Can't Stop, Won't Stop” was the song of the summer in 2003. The simple beat could be heard in cars, parties, everywhere. Couldn't two-step to this without Rocawear and white Uptowns on. This was State Property's highest-charting single, reaching as high as 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. —Angel Diaz
20. Cam'ron f/ Juelz Sanatana, & Jim Jones “Come Home With Me” (2002)
Producer: Rsonist
Album: Come Home With Me
Those who discovered Cam’ron in the early 2000s may have thought the Harlem rapper was all about pink garments and inventive language. They didn’t know his name was Killa or that he was responsible for some of the grittiest and most reprehensible rap music in the NYC canon. Cam’s first Roc-A-Fella solo project did well in showing what he was all about, but it was the title track, a sorrowful number produced by Rsonist from the Heatmakerz, that truly detailed what Killa was all about. Cam, Jimmy, and Juelz all showcased the environments that made them, while holding no punches and airing dirty laundry. Jim Jones spit the best verse of his career. Juelz did ably. But it was Cam who stole the show. From talking about backslapping his mom for finding his “crack platter” to telling a girl, “I’m never scared, Ma, unless you miss your period,” after telling us that “any beef came, it left on a stretcher,” it perfectly showed us Cam's value system. It was a succinct, if messy, look into the making of the uptown kid who hustled his way from being Ma$e’s muscle to the one-time King of New York. —Damien Scott
18. Beanie Sigel “What Ya Life Like 2” (2001)
Producer: Just Blaze
Album: The Reason
If you've dabbled in the streets or have fam and friends that live that life, you can relate to this. One thing that separates Beans from other “gangsta” rappers is that he gives you the other side of the game. This song is able to capture the feeling of a career dealer's world crashing down on him and the mindfuck that comes with having to do a bid. That's it: You're in the hands of the law. Either you take it like a man or you kill yourself. —Angel Diaz
16. Beanie Sigel f/ Scarface “Mac & Brad” (2000)
Producer: J-5
Album: The Truth
These two have some of the best chemistry the game has ever seen. “Mac & Brad” had fans fiendin' for a collaborative album. Only Jada and Styles and Ghost and Rae can be compared for their back-and-forth effectiveness. J-5 provides a filthy beat that sounds like the soundtrack to the hardest boss level imaginable, and the rhymes hit harder than a Mack truck. Facemob dug deep and gave us Mr. Scarface, and we're forever grateful. —Angel Diaz
14. Cam'ron f/ Juelz Santana “Oh Boy” (2002)
Producer: Just Blaze
Album: Come Home With Me
Thank the heavens this track didn’t go to Memphis Bleek. Not to say Bleek wouldn’t have came correct on this, but Cam and Juelz all the way skated over this. No one else was doing the whole “I’m going to use the vocal sample as a guest feature” thing better than Dipset. Also, Cam had the perfect mix of greasy slickness to pull off lines like “Look, mani, I’m so hood, I’m no good, clap at your soldiers sober, then leave after it’s over.” And: “I’m not your companion or your man standing, hit me when you wanna get rammed in, I’ll be scrambling.” The lines keep rolling as the song continues. It’s one long succession of memorable, laughable, incredibly cool lyrics. The glitz of the beat collided just right with Cam’s uptown playboy demeanor. For that, it goes down as not only one of Cam’s best, but one of the best singles ever stamped with the Roc-A-Fella logo. —Damien Scott
12. Beanie Sigel “Feel It in the Air” (2005)
Producer: Heavy D
Album: The B. Coming
For a guy with such a bully's reputation, Sigel's real strength is in the clarity and honesty of his introspection. “I still close my eyes, I still see visions, I still hear that voice in the back of my mind . . . I still heed, I still listen.” The track is a post-Roc resentment of insincerity, impure motives, and the body language of con men. The light touch of singer Melissa's solo choir vocals reels you back from Sigel's possibly suicidal ledge. The noir affect of that crackling, unfiltered tenor sax whine is one trill jazz lick. The B. Coming wasn't Sigel's finest hour, yet “Feel It in the Air” is one of his strongest album cuts, in which Sigel raps alone. —Justin Charity
10. Freeway f/ Peedi Crakk “Flipside” (2003)
Producer: Just Blaze
Album: Philadelphia Freeway
By 2003, State Property’s takeover of the Roc was well underway. Beanie Sigel was two terrific albums in and had a movie with an even better soundtrack under his belt. The clique’s bearded second-in-command was ready to set off on his own. Freeway’s debut was backed by the Roc’s newest hitmakers, Just Blaze and Kanye West, and featured, for the most part, the indelible soulful sound that came to define Hov’s label. However, one of the—if not the—standout track was a marked departure from the sped-up vocal samples and rolling drums. “Flipside” was a rambunctious ode to getting the party started and moving keys. Though it was Freeway’s song, the star was Peedi Crakk. Employing his elastic flow that seemed to stretch to fit over any beat, Peedi fired off some of the most memorable lines in Roc history. “I ain’t Hov, I just know what I know,” was only bested by “tell that hoe to tootsie roll on a poll.” Name another song that after more than 10 years can get a party cracking. We’ll wait. —Damien Scott
8. Peedi Crakk f/ Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Young Chris “One for Peedi Crakk” (2002)
Producer: Megahertz
Album: Paid in Full OST
One of the biggest injustices to befall a Roc-A-Fella artist was Peedi Crakk never getting the opportunity to release a solo album. As technically proficient as Freeway, as slick as Young Chris, and as streetwise as Mack, it seemed he had all the makings of a future star. He also had a string of unfuckwithable one-liners. That Peedi never got his just due is one of rap’s cruelest misgivings, but at least we got to see him shine on cuts like this.
Most, if not all, State Property posse cuts involved the Philly crew talking about having a good time while being strapped to the teeth. One of the most memorable was this single from the Paid in Full soundtrack that featured State Prop’s hardest hitters: Freeway, Beanie, Young Chris, and the young scion of the crew, Peedi Crakk. Over Megahertz’s pulsating production that was powerful enough to ignite a full city block, Peedi delivers a standout verse. Also, it allowed for one of the best videos the Roc ever produced. —Damien Scott
6. Juelz Santana & Cam'ron “Dipset Anthem” (2003)
Producer: Heatmakerz
Album: Diplomatic Immunity
Remember when the Diplomats were in contention for the best crew in NYC? It was around the time Hov was hanging it up, 50 was starting his domination, and Cam couldn’t make a bad song or drop a wack verse. It was also when mad dudes in the tri-state area were rocking bandanas everywhere and different shades of pink. “Oh Boy” and “Hey Ma” may have kicked down the door, but this was the coronation. With a beat that could be used to announce heads of state, Juelz and Cam slid through and proclaimed that they had now and next. Juelz played the part of scrappy upstart, yelping out boast after boast, bragging about Cam taking over the Roc. Cam played the elder statesmen: calm, collected, and wiser. He didn't need to raise his voice when telling you that he's "from Harlem, uptown, where we flash money, take your bitch, and ask you, 'What now?'" —Damien Scott
4. Beanie Sigel & Freeway “Roc the Mic” (2002)
Producer: Just Blaze
Album: State Property OST
Sigel and Free always made for a workable contrast of youth and mood. Sigel being the somber, grizzled vet, Free being the eager, junior co-conspirator. “Rock the Mic,” however, is the chipper radio hit that proved (after “Mack Bitch”) that Sigel could sustain as both a solo artist and State Property crew captain. The St. Lunatics (in their prime) hopped on the remix, making “Roc the Mic” the biggest radio miracle of Sigel's career. It's the jiggiest Beans ever got, and for Free, it was merely a beginning. —Justin Charity
2. Cam'ron & Jim Jones “I Really Mean It” (2003)
Producer: Just Blaze
Album: Diplomatic Immunity
First time I heard “I Really Mean It” was as the tail end of the radio mix leading with Cam'ron's freestyle Nas diss over the “Hate Me Now” beat, then over the “Show You Now Beat,” then “I Really Mean It” as the grand finale. Hearing that heartbroken sample whimper, those trumpets-at-dawn, and then that warmongering bari sax: It's all rather like waking from TKO to a live coliseum audience that's still jeering you and applauding your opponent, a fitting theme for Cam'ron, rap villain extraordinaire. “Ya'll niggas dreamed it, I've seen it/Body warm, heart anemic.” As for his bragging, Cam's equally proud of gunplay and his candy paint, with Jim Jones snatching kufis and tarring Nas as a coward from start to fade, while Cam says it best: “Man, you terry cloth, that mean you very soft/Gravy Mercedes, add the cranberry sauce.” —Justin Charity
